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Mayor Adams presses for cut to city income tax following housing victory
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David Giambusso
Published Dec 6, 2024
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By
David Giambusso
Published Dec 6, 2024
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Mayor Eric Adams took a victory lap on Friday after the City Council approved his sweeping overhaul of city zoning codes to allow for the creation of 80,000 new homes — and pressed his credentials on affordability as he stares down a crowded primary in June.
The passage of the so-called City of Yes zoning shakeup marks a legacy win for a mayor who’s had a string of losses during his first term — the biggest being his criminal indictment on corruption charges. During an interview on WNYC’s "Morning Edition" Friday, Adams said the housing package is part of a larger affordability agenda.
“Our number one concern was the 1.4% vacancy rate that we were experiencing in the city,” he said. “And this is the most comprehensive housing reform since 1961.”
The mayor recently rolled out a proposal to reduce or eliminate income taxes for working-class New Yorkers, but it’s based on laws the city can’t change itself. The plan requires state-level legislation, so Albany would have to take up Adams’ proposal to get it done. The mayor projected confidence about the bill's fate and cited his close relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul, though he’d need state lawmakers to pass it before it reaches her desk.
“This is an important bill for all of us. $63 million is going to be returned back in the pockets of over 582,000 New York City residents and families,” he said. “We have great partners up there, like all the other initiatives that we push through.”
The mayor, a former state senator, has had some cool receptions in Albany, and now at least three state legislators are planning to run against him in the June primary. His rhetoric around key liberal priorities has troubled many left-leaning lawmakers.
On the issue of immigration in particular, the mayor has sounded more like Republican President-elect Donald Trump than current President Joe Biden. Adams has been known to criticize the Democratic president, while several of his recent public remarks resemble overtures to Trump — who could help him with his legal woes. The mayor has pleaded not guilty to his charges.
Just this week, Adams erroneously suggested that undocumented immigrants are not entitled the right to due process under the U.S. Constitution, aligning himself with Trump.
“The Constitution is for Americans,” Adams told reporters on Tuesday, drawing a contrast between criminal charges against migrants and his own criminal case. “I’m not a person that snuck into this country. My ancestors have been here for a long time.”
On Friday he tried to clarify his comments.
“This is a city that's open to all, and everyone has a right to the protections of the Constitution,” he said. “Repeated criminal offenders, the small numbers who are coming here committing crimes, we need to ensure that they don't remain in our city in doing so, and our Constitution is for all of us.”
In another interview the same day, the mayor — a former Republican — did not rule out switching back to the GOP when asked.
“I’m a part of the American party,” he told NY1. “I love this country.”
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new york city
Mayor Eric Adams
housing
Politics
David Giambusso
David is the editor of the Day-of desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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